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'It Is Definitely a Win' Finally Answers: Gateway Education Center and the CTE Program Got Needed Funding, Parents Celebrate

The County Commissioners are tasked with approving or denying the budget proposal made by Guilford County Schools.

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — The Guilford County Board of Commissioners met Thursday night.

The County Commissioners are tasked with approving or denying the $22 million dollar budget request made by Guilford County Schools.

RELATED: Gateway Education Center Will Be Repaired, But At What Cost?

But that won't happen until a public hearing on June 20. 

So what was approved Thursday night?

Funding for repairing Gateway Education Center, a special needs school in Greensboro, and also the Career and Technical Education program commonly 'known as CTE. 

CTE would provide vocational classes.

The funding passed in a 7-1 vote. 

Credit: WFMY News 2

The County Commissioners didn't have to choose between one or the other, which was originally a concern for parents, and cause for many heated debates at public meetings.

But the money had to come from somewhere. The compromise Guilford County Schools came up with was implementing the CTE program in five high schools rather than six.  

It was a win for all parents according to Lakeisha Williams. 

"It is definitely a win, we are excited I’m so nervous," Williams exclaimed. 

Williams has a child who attends Gateway, and two teenagers who she says would benefit from the CTE program, so she's been caught in the middle.

"I know it was along road, we’ve been tired with no sleep," Williams said. "Some of our children were sick throughout the process but we’re just grateful."

It was a fight to save Gateway for 34 days. Now the roofs and windows will be repaired.

RELATED: 'We Feel Hopeful' Special Needs School Will Stay Open, Now the Fight For Funding Repairs is in Full-Force

Again, the overall budget that Guilford County Schools requested still needs to be approved in June.

But Gateway repairs and CTE money is coming from a leftover bond, so they without a question, got the funding they needed Thursday night.


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